Wenger keen on Saints’ Mane man

SOUTHAMPTON forward Sadio Mane may be lining up for Arsenal next season, according to a number of sources, including Metro and The Mirror.

Danny Welbeck is set to be sidelined until well into 2017 with a knee injury and Gunners boss Arsene Wenger sees Mane as a suitable replacement, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain likely to leave the Emirates to help fund the move.

“We have to think about it,” Wenger said. “Because when a player is out for nine months, you have to consider that it’s the season. And that makes you short on the striker front.”

The pacy and skilful Mane has proven himself to be a quality striker since joining Southampton from Salzburg for £11.25million in 2014, bagging 21 goals in 67 Premier League appearances.

It’s not the first time the Senegal international has caught the eye of a ‘bigger’ club – Manchester United have expressed an interest in him in the past.

And while he would be a big loss to Southampton, the Saints have shown in recent times they are willing to sell their stars if the price is right … somewhere in the region of £17m, according to the Mirror.

However, with the south coast club having qualified for the Europa League next season, boss Ronald Koeman may not be so keen to see one of his key men depart.

Arsenal fans have been desperate for a world-class striker for several years now and, while 24-year-old Mane has done a great job for Southampton, you wonder whether his arrival at the Emirates would satisfy those supporters?

And if Wenger did subsequently sign a truly elite frontman, would Mane get the game time he’d want?